Device for installing and removing lamp tubes



L. B. QUICK INSTALLING-AND REMOVING LAMP TUBES May 30, 1944.

DEVICE FOR Filed NOV. 17, 1945 Ei j 2kg IN VEN TOR.

Zig/e @airis B Y um Patented May 30, 1944 DEVICE FOR INSTALLING LAMPTUBE .Np REMovrNG Lyle B. Quick, New Britain, Conn. Application November17, 1943, Serial No. 510,632

I'Cl. 294-20) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for inserting lamp tubes into, andremoving them from, fix# tures located adjacent the ceiling of a room orany other elevated position or inaccessible place beyond the reach of aperson attending the same.

As it is well known, lamp tubes, such as tubes of the fluorescent type,are now in general use in factories and buildings generally, and theflxtures for such tubes are usually suspended or hung from the ceilingbeyond the reach of a person designated to take care of them. In manyfactories, a very great number of such lamps are employed and, as theselamps require frequent replacements, a considerable expense is involvedin installing and servicing them,lpar ticularly where it is necessary toemploy ladders and the like in order to reach them.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a simple device by meansof which lamp tubes may be Very quickly and easily installed and removedby a person standing on the floor, thus eliminating the use of laddersand the like and eiecting a considerable saving in expense and manpowerin servicing the lamps.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a device of this characterhaving various features of novelty and advantage and which isparticularly characterized by its simplicity in construction, itslightness in weight, its economy in manufacture, and its effectivenessin use.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have shown one embodiment whichthe present invention may take:

Figure 1 is a view showing a lamp xture suspended from a ceiling andalso showing my improved device in front elevation engaged with the lamptube preliminary to giving the same a quarter turn about its axis inorder to remove it;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of` the arrangement shown in Fig. 1,this view being taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. l and looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing, by broken lines, theposition of the device after the lamp tube has been given a quarter turnin a lamp tube also being shown in end elevation.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I have shown, for illustrativepurposes in Figs. 1, 2,'and

3, a lamp fixture of a type now commonly in use. This xture includes ahousing I0 suspended from a ceiling by hangers I I, a reector I2 securedto the housing, and two brackets or socket members I3, I3, dependingfrom the housing and located adjacent the opposite ends of thereflector. The numeral I4 designates the uorescent lamp tube which, asusual, has at each end a pair of pins I5. The pins of each pair aredisposed to opposite sides of the axis of the tube. Each of the bracketsI3 has, on its inner face, a recess or socket I6 into which extends apair of resilient contact ngers I 1. Leading downward from each socketis an entrance groove IBa. The fingers I'I are to opposite sides of acentral stud I8 which is slotted vertically as at I9."` When itisdesired to install a lamp between the brackets, the lamp is moved fromthe full line position shown inFig. 3 to the dotted line position shownin that figure, and then it is turned about its axis so as to engage thepins I5 with the ngers I'I in the manner shown in Fig. 2. To remove thelamp, this series of operations is reversed.

Referring now to the device of the present invention, the same has a rodor pole 20 which preferably is made of a series of sections with quickdetachable connections therebetween whereby-the rod may have any desiredlength depending on the height at which the lamp is located above thefloor. In the present instance, two such sections 20a and 2Gb are shown.The sections of the rod 20 may be square in cross section and may bedetachably connected together by an arrangement such as shown in Fig. l.In this figure, it will be seen that the lower end of the section 2Mfits within a sleeve 2l secured to theupper end of the section 2Gb. Thissleeve carries a cross pin 22g, and the lower end of the section 20a isslotted or grooved as at 23 so as to accommodate this pin.

The upper end of the rod 20 carries a stud 25 which constitutes a fixedpivot for a bracket 25 and an anchor for a bevel gear 21. The pin orstud 25 extends axially beyond the upper end of the section 20a. of thepole and is secured against rotation relative to the pole by a cross pin29. The bracket 25 comprises a U-shaped respect'to the bracket 26.

member having a base 26a and vertically extending side arms 2Gb. Thebase 26a has a central opening which rotatably receives the pivot stud25. The base 26a is located between the end surface of the pole and thegear 21. The stud has a head 23 beneath which the gear is keyed to thestud as at 21'. The side arms 2th have aligned openings in which isjournaled a shaft 39 which is here in the form of a bolt having a nut3l. Secured to the shaft 30, as by means of a key 32", is a bevel gear32 meshing with the bevel gear 21. Mounted on the bolt and rigidlyconnected with the gear 32, as by means of the key 32', is a yoke 33comprising a member of' that it lits between arms 2Gb of the bracket 25.

Between the nut 3| and the right hand arm 26hofthe bracket 26 is afriction device which is here shown as being in the 'form of a springwasher 35. the yoke in any desired angular position with Secured to theconnecting portion @te of the yoke, and extending at right angles to thelength of the rod 2li, is a riti, and this bar is provided, adjacent itsopposite ends, with spring clips or clasps 4l which are adapted toembrace the lamp tube I4 adjacent the ends thereof. In the presentinstance, each of these clips has a pair of particiroular springfingers, the free ends `of which are turned outwardly as at B2. Stoppins 45 carried by the bracket 26 serve to limit the extent to which theyoke may be pivoted about the axis provided by the shaft 39.

With the structure described, when it is desired to remove a lamp froman overhead xture,

the yoke is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 l' and wherein theconnecting portion 33a of the yoke is parallel to the base 26a of thebracket. The lower end of the rod is gripped, and the device is raisedso as to slip the clips about the ends of the lamp tube. Then the rod ismanually turned about its longitudinal axis and, since the drive gear 2lis fixed to the stud 25 and the stud is fixed to the rod 2li, this gearwill rotate with the rod. Since the engagement of the clips ii with thelamp prevents the yoke and the bracket from rotating with the rod, thegear il causes the gear 32 to rotate so that the assembly (comprisingthis gear 32, the bolt 30,

the yoke and the bar 4U) will pivot about the a of the bolt 30, thusbringing the assembly from the upright positionshown in Fig. 2 to thelateral position shown by Adotted lines in 3. Further, since the springclips frictions-illy embrace the tube, the tube will be given a quarterturn so that the pins l5 projecting from the ends of the tube will bebrought into registry with the entrance groove Ilia and the slot I9. Thedevice is now lowered so as to remove the lamp tube from the brackets.When it is desired to replace the lamp tube, the sequence of operationsjust described is reversed. That is to say, the lamp tube is positionedwithin the clips when the yoke is in the position shown by fullv linesin Fig. 3, then the device is raised to the broken line position asshown in. that figure, and, finally, the rod is turned counterclockwise`about its axis whereupon the lamp tube is given a quarter turn from theposition shown in Fig. Btc that shown-in Fig. 2. The

This washer frictionally maintainsr device may now be pulled down so asto slip the clips oi of the tube.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not a limiting sense. l

It is also to be understood that the language used in the Afollowingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe -invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I `claim as my invention:

l. A device forinstalling and removing lamp tubes comprising a rod, amember journaled on one end of said rod and about the longitudinal axisthereof, a second member journaled on said first member for limitedpivotal movement about an axis at right angles to the .axis ofrotationof said rod relative to said iirst member, a pair of spacedapart aligned clasps xedly carried by said second member and adapted tofrictionally embrace a lamp tube, and gear means between said rod andsecond member for causing pivotal movement of said second member aboutits axis when said rod is turned about its longitudinal axis.

2. A device for installing and removing lamp tubes 4comprising a rod, amember mounted on one end thereof for relative rotation about thelongitudinalaxis of the rod, a second member journaled on said firstmember for limited pivotal movement about an axis at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of said rod, means xedly carried by said second memberfor clasping a lamp tube, a bevel gear xed to said end of said rod so asto rotate therewith, and a second bevel gear meshing with said first oneand fixed to said second member so as to rotate therewith about the axisof pivot thereof when said rod and rst gear are turned about the axis ofsaid rod.

3. A device for installing and removing lamp tubes comprising a rod, amember journaled on one end thereof for relative rotation' about thelongitudinal axis of the rod, a second member journaled on said iirstmember for -limited pivotal movement about an axis at right angles tothe axis of rotation of said rod, means for frictionally restrainingpivotal movement of said second member, a pair of spaced apa-rt alignedclasps iixedly carried by said second member and adapted to frictionallyembrace a lamp tube, and gear means between said rod andrsecond memberfor causing pivotal movement of said second member about its axis whensaid rod is turned about its longitudinal axis.

4. A device for installing and removing lamp tubes comprising a rod, amember mounted on one end thereof for relative rotation about thelongitudinal axis of the rod, a second member journaled on said firstmember for limited pivotal movement about an axis at right angles to theaxis of rotation of said rod, a pair of spring clasps fixedly carriedvby, and spaced apart on a line parallel toV the axis of pvot of, saidsecond member for clasping a lamp tube, a bevel gear xed to said end ofsaid rod so as to rotate therewith, and a second bevel gear meshing withsaid rst one and fixed to said second member so as torotate therewithabout the axis of pivot thereof when said rod and first gear are turnedabout the axis of said rod.

5. A device for installing and removing lamp tubes comprising a rod, afixed stud projecting axially from one end of said rod, a bracketjournaled on said stud, a bevel gear fixed to said stud, a shaftjournaled in said bracket and disposed at right angles to the length ofsaid rod, a yoke fixed to said shaft, a bevel gear iixed to said shaftand meshing with said rst gear, a bar xed to said yoke in parallelismwith said shaft, and a pair of spring clasps secured to said baradjacent the opposite ends thereof.

6. A device for installing and removing lamp tubes comprising a rod, axed stud projecting axially from one end of said rod, a bracketjournaled on said stud, a bevel gear fixed to said stud, a shaftjournaled in said bracket and disposed at right angles to the length ofsaid rod, a yoke xed to said shaft, a bevel gear .fixed to said shaftand meshing with said first gear, a bar fixed to said yoke inparallelism with said shaft, a pair of spring clasps secured to said baradjacent the opposite ends thereof, and a spring washer between saidshaft and bracket for frictionally restraining pivotal movement of saidyoke.

'7. A device for installing and removing lamp tubes comprising a rod, aiixed stud projecting axially from one end of said rod, a bevel gearfixed to said stud, a U-shaped bracket having a base and a pair of sidearms, the base being positioned between said end of the rod and saidgear and being journaled on said stud, a shaft journaled in the sidearms of said bracket and intersecting the longitudinal axis of said rodat right angles, an inverted U-shaped yoke having a connecting portionand side arms, said side arms being apertured to receive said shaft andsaid yoke being secured to said shaft, a bevel gear xed to said shaftand meshing with said rst mentioned gear, a friction Washer between saidshaft and said bracket for frictionally restraining pivotal movement ofsaid yoke, a bar secured to the connecting portion of said yoke andparallel to said shaft, and means carried by said bar for gripping alamp tube.

LYLE B. QUICK.

